The Rays Don't Know These Eyes
by Celidead
Summary: Aeris is invisible to most people, granted the ability to be seen by only those who she wishes to be visible to. However, she appears incredibly ugly to everyone who sees her. Zack comes along and sees her without her knowledge, only seeing beauty.
1. Prologue

_Oh Yeah! I almost forgot- I don't own FF or any of these characters (Zack/Aerith)  
Whew ;)  
Oh, and this is just a preview! Kind of like a prologue I guess.  
The first chapter comes in about a week, my guess is that it will be finished on the 25th._

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The Rays don't know these Eyes.

**"Can you honestly say that you can see me? Me, right here, in front of you? Its raining dogs and ducks outside- the clouds have covered the sun and all seems as if it should block the very image of my existance from your eyes- yet you can see me? So I guess I have no right to be invisible- or maybe you just aren't visible anymore. I promise."**

Zack stopped suddenly. His feet failed to follow one another. Now there he stood in front of her. In the pouring rain. Him seeing beauty; herself seeing destruction. From then on in he came to the sudden realization that this could have easily been a mistake. She was a figment, simply a figment of his small imagination. But why did she seem so real? He had never seen her before. Not in all of his seventeen years. She was a dream come true.

**"You...promise?"** The question was whispered from his fevered lips.

**"Why not?"** She replied, **"Promises mean forever, don't they? They can stretch as far across a person's mind, such as a crater would to our moon. Glowing just as bright and not once faltering unless broken. A shattered promise is a shattered soul. A shattered soul is a shattered memory. Breaking a promise, why, you would never see that person again. At least, if you ever broke a promise to me; I wouldn't want you to see me again either."**

Her eyebrows met together in a bridge across her forehead. Her brown hair hung in strings past her shoulders. He had just realized the rain was pouring even harder. He couldn't care less- not when she was standing across from him. Her hands concealed her hips and she shivered.

**"Answer me."** She demanded it, so subtly.

He couldn't deny it.

He loved her already- and he didn't even know her name.

He wasn't even sure she existed.

He wasn't even sure he was there.

So of course, out of all days, she chose this one.

**"Honestly, sir, I couldn't have asked for a better love story."**

_Copyrighted 2009(c)_


	2. An Unusual Beginning

Okay so I guess its pretty aparant that I'm not the best at updating my stories. However, to make up for the lack of updates, I decided to make it a lot longer than it was intended to be. I can assure readers that this will never happen again and usually I'm on top of my game here.

Oh and by the way:  
I don't own Zack, Angeal, or FF Crisis Core or any of that stuff.

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Her voice, it echoed through his eardrums. He could hear her clearly, however listening was too burdensome for him at the moment. Of course he wondered to himself quite often if it was okay to overlook her like he did. He never took a single feeling she felt into any consideration. Especially when it involved his future. Zack had lived a normal and ideal life. He has never dealt with the pain of a passing family member. He had played with other children and was quite accepted in his childhood and throughout the rest of his life. To her, it was as if he didn't have a care in the world. It was almost true, too. He had thought about leaving his small town; his sanctuary. As much as he wouldn't exactly admit it- he was afraid to leave.

And that is exactly what their last fight was about. It was about his future. He couldn't stand that she tried to integrate herself into his life. He had began the relationship steady and making sure that she understood that he wanted nothing serious. After about a year, the whole "nothing serious" concept completely fled her mind and she began to pressure him with commitment. She wanted him to leave Gongaga and find a future for them both. She wanted him to explore and be fun. She wanted him to quit his cozy job at the shop to go out of his comfort zone to make her happy. He really wasn't okay with this.

He frankly didn't know what he wanted out of life, and that plagued his mind the most. He couldn't stand disappointing his family. He knew that if he stayed at the shop forever, he would never get out, but if he left then he would break his father's heart. He would never see the world for the wonders that it would bestow upon him. Instead, he was quite convinced that he was never getting out of Gongaga. He wasn't bitter, though. He never did let her in on any of his thoughts. He honestly considered them to be a little more than she could handle. Especially because he didn't want to disappoint her. She had been his girlfriend for a steady 3 years already. She has been his fiancee for 3 wobbly months. He felt in his heart that the only good thing he could possibly do for himself (especially if he had any intentions of getting the hell out of Gongaga) was to end this before it started anything new. He hadn't thought about it before, but now it was quite clear to him; he didn't want to marry this woman.

He could almost see the heart break through her chest. He could almost feel the growing , love sick insanity spreading everywhere throughout her brain. He could almost taste that bitter regret on his tongue. It was the same regret that he was sure that she had felt for almost two out of the three years of their tiring relationship. She wanted it to end as well, but he knew her to never voice her true thoughts. Not to him, anyways. Those two years had passed quickly and with more anger than ever before felt in their relationship. She had began to nag him about his future and what was better for him. She wanted him to go out and improve his life. He knew deep down, that she would keep him from ever actually getting out into the world. Balancing a wife and possible children was no easy task, exploration was far out of the question. He was simply her ticket out. She knew this as wll. It was then that he almost felt sorry that he hadn't ended this sooner. Instead, he quietly approached her and lifted her soft, delicate hand with his own. He gently slipped the small crystal engagement ring off her finger.

**"Zack, you aren't doing this."**  
He wished he wasn't… but he was. He couldn't stand the burden of not loving someone back.  
**"Please Zack, we have a future together. We have an entire life with each other."**  
Her anger turned to sudden pleading as she dropped to her knees. Huge tear drops stung her eyes and trickled down her beautiful face. But he wasn't the one, and he knew it. They both did. He couldn't stand being with Joanne. He couldn't stand how she had tried to open his mind and rustle his thoughts. He didn't even want a relationship.

-----  
Before Zack's term as SOLDIER, he had led an almost normal life. He had been with the same girl for about three years, and for the first year he loved her unconditionally. Joanne was a smart, funny, amazing, and independent girl. She was very adventurous and was great with kids. She seemed to never run out of energy. She was a great and social person with a good head on her shoulders. He noticed how she always had her way with everything. She was brave and not afraid to assert herself. She was everything that he wanted to be, and she definitely inspired him in ways that no other woman ever had. He had met her at a parade. It was a parade welcoming a new year, and she was standing in the very front of the crowd. She was 18 years old, and she was running everywhere trying to catch the candy that was being thrown from the performers.

He was enchanted by her childish personality ever since then. But now was different. She was on her knees in front of him, her dark blond hair clung to her face in a huge mess. Her blue eyes were hidden by her bangs, and she didn't look beautiful. She looked crazy. All he could now see her as, was the crazy woman that tried to control and manipulate his life. Zack turned and walked away. Not once turning back to forgive and move on. Not once apologizing. Not even planning to turn back. He had decided that he didn't want a woman to weigh him down in his life. He wanted something else to dedicate his life to. Something that would mean everything to him. He now wanted to quit that part time job at the shop and go far away from this place. The stinging memories were slowly pushing him further away. That's when Zack found SOLDIER.

That moment when he was walking away from dear Joanne, he had not expected to be confronted with this life changing offer. He had never really been confronted by anything, especially in such a strange manner. He began his journey when he was quite far from Joanne. While he was walking further and further down that country road, he was thinking exactly about what his life had in store for him. The wonders and riches that he would come across before his final decision. In a way, she inspired him to drop her and move on to a greater tomorrow. Gongaga was roughly a mile from where he had left Joanne. He had exactly 13 good long minutes to think things through.

The summer air was hot. The sweltering heat did not bother him, it encouraged him to reach his home much faster. The trees lined the deserted road. Bright red apples dangled from the branches. A farm could be seen roughly a few hundred yards away. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the sun beat down on the countryside harder than ever imagined. He took a minute or so to stop and just admire his surroundings. He would really miss this place. When he was younger, he faintly recalled him always informing his parents that he would one day become a farmer. He would own tons of animals and forever live in the beautiful, peaceful house next to that big red barn. It was too late now, he had already made up his mind. As he further approached the town, he began to see the outline a little more clearly.

Lately, the townspeople have had talk of strangers in the country. Every morning as he bagged an old woman's goods in the shop, he would always over hear the conversations near the counter. Rumor of two men recruiting criminals. It was a scary thought, and usually those who really believed the rumors to be true took true caution and stopped allowing their kids to play outside. Women would arm their husbands, and pretty soon Zack noticed a lot more doorknobs with locks on them. Zack shrugged these rumors off and continued his normal routines. However, he couldn't help but wonder. He knew there were cruel people in this world. He didn't want bad things to happen to the good citizens of Gongaga. Especially if it were a family member or close friend. Then again, in that small town, who wasn't a close friend?

-----

Zack continued to ponder and walk until suddenly disturbed by a quick image of a man. He stopped and brought his fists to his chest. It may have been the heat, but he could have sworn that a man just crossed his path. Or maybe it had been a woman. Whatever it was, he was now moving to the town with caution. He was ready to defend himself whatever the situation. His defense was suddenly focused to Joanne. He had left her on her knees two miles away from home. She had no transportation but her feet. She didn't follow him. Zack's head began to swim with every negative possibility that could have happened to her.

She was still his friend. Despite everything, he couldn't just break off contact. He felt like a really shitty guy at that moment. Although he couldn't see her anymore, he figured that he should have at least walked her to safety. He could have at least silently escorted her back to her home in stranger could have gotten to her, a vulnerable girl in the country, all alone. He knew that criminals were notorious for murder and rape. Zack suddenly felt sick with worry. He spun right around on his heels to get her. When he turned, however, he found himself facing a tall and rather eerie man.

**"Um, hi."**

Was pretty much the only speech Zack could really manage at this point. He really didn't even know what to think anymore. His thoughts continue bouncing from relationships, to futures, to SOLDIER, to strangers. Now he was face to face with.. something. Something that deep down inside he wasn't sure was even good or bad. Zack considered what his life would be like if he was a criminal. He couldn't picture himself squeezing through windows and stealing candy from helpless babies.

The stranger waved his hand wildly in front of Zack's face to bring him back to focus.

**"Hey buddy, ya in there?"**

Zack broke from his thoughts and nodded cautiously. He wasn't too happy that a strange man just moronically waved his hand in his face.

**"Good, cause your just what I need. I have a proposition for you."**

Zack took a step back, **"I'm not a criminal if that's what your looking for."**

The stranger laughed wildly, slapping his knee in affect. Zack took a better look at this man. He had shoulder length black hair that hung in sweaty strings around his face. His dark eyes focused on Zack as if he were just a mere child. As if Zack had just entered this world with curiosity and utter confusion. A proposition? It was most likely a sham. This entire situation angered Zack and he greatly considered turning his back on the man and continuing home to his mother and father. They were probably dead worried about him.

**"I'm talking about SOLDIER."**

Zack's eyes widened intensely at the word. SOLDIER. He had heard it before. He had heard it among the gossip everyday when he would walk to work. He had heard the positive and negative sides to this organization. He wasn't even sure if it was even considered an organization. He knew it meant something great, though. It was exactly what he wanted; to be great. He was awed that a man would seek him out for something as big as SOLDIER. Even if he didn't quite understand it's purpose, he understood how important and beneficial it would be for him.

**"What exactly is SOLDIER?"** Zack asked, his voiced had changed to a faint whisper. He was so fascinated with the subject in general. He couldn't wait to find out more.

**"What is soldier? Well buddy, it's pretty much Shinra Company's private armed forces. The best fighters. We could train you for this, you know. To be a SOLDIER you have to be committed to helping Shinra and remaining loyal. Loyalty is a huge deal. To be a SOLDIER is one of the highest honors you will ever receive in your entire life."**

Zack's lips curved into a huge smile. Even if he hadn't been too fond of Shinra over the past few years, this is exactly the opportunity that he had been waiting for. The stranger hadn't given him an exact description of SOLDIER- just a watered down summary. But whatever, Zack figured that along the lines of training for this wonderful program, he would learn everything he needed to know eventually. He had been waiting for a long time for an oppurtunity such as this. It was the right time for him to take on something that he knew would change the course of his life forever. He figured that once he made this decision, there was no turning back.

**"Where do I sign up?"**

Zack asked eagerly. He couldn't wait to get a move on. He even considered leaving without packing. He wanted to get there as soon as possible. He was thrilled, he was beyond excited. This stranger had just become an idol in Zack's eyes.

The stranger smiled wide and motioned for Zack to follow him back toward Joanne. Zack fast walked to keep up at the stranger's side. He noticed that not far from him was a huge black pick up truck. They walked in silence until they got to the truck. Before Zack got in, he quickly introduced himself to the stranger.

**"I'm Zack!"** He said eagerly, holding out his hand. The stranger didn't take his hand. Instead, he simply replied, **"The name's Angeal."**

**

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**Don't worry- the next chapter will basically begin the actual point of the story. For now, I just want to get everything explained and I want the basic understanding that Zack had just began his term with SOLDIER.

So tell me what you think, and I will update the next chapter sometime withing next week XD


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